A Bow-Wow Birthday Party

April 16, 2013

BERKELEY SPRINGS - Katie Gloyd, of Berkeley Springs, seems like any other kid her age, going to school, playing with her friends, and spending time with her family. She is also an animal lover; she loves all animals, but she especially loves dogs. Dogs are not allowed where Katie currently lives, and even though she cannot have a dog to call her own, she is able to share her love of dogs with her aunt's dogs. Katie was especially fond of Binx, who recently passed away at the age of 16; Katie misses and thinks about Binx a lot.

Katie was about to turn 8, so when planning her party, her mom (Kenda) and aunt (Julie Rohlfs) asked Katie what she wanted to do for her birthday. She told them she wanted to have a dog theme, with a picture of Binxie (as Katie called her aunt's dog) on her cake, and that instead of bringing presents for her, she wanted her friends to bring a bag of dog food and a toy to be donated to an animal shelter/rescue.

They were both very proud that Katie wanted to help shelter/rescue dogs rather than receive presents. Katie's aunt thought they should try to do something special for her; that's when she contacted our organization, Friends Fur Life Rescue (FFLR), to see if it might be possible to bring some puppies to Katie's party for the kids to play and cuddle with, and to accept Katie's donation. FFLR was moved by the generosity and unselfishness of this little girl, and was very excited to have the opportunity to help her aunt make this an extra special day for Katie and arranged to take Mack and Merida, two recently rescued pups, for the children to play with.

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Katie Gloyd, 8, uses her birthday party to provide donations of dog food and toys to Friends Fur Life Rescue.

The party was a total "dog" theme, the children played Pin the Tail on the Dog, Binx's picture decorated the birthday cake, they had fudgesicles decorated to look like dogs, and each guest received a miniature stuffed dog, complete with a collar, leash, bowl, and (this was really cool) an adoption certificate for their dog.

The children played with the pups for about an hour, during which time Beth Reedy, co-owner of FFLR, talked with the children on the importance of caring for their pets, and how to properly feed/care for them. She asked if they could tell her some things that are important in taking care of their pets, and they said to feed them, make sure they have water, and to love them. Beth also talked to them about the proper way to discipline, emphasizing positive training, and to let them know it is never okay to hit your pet. When asked what the most important thing you can give your pet is, the children answered, "Love." Megan, a vet tech, and founder of Fiona's Fight, also talked to the children on the importance of giving their pet proper care. She explained how taking a pet to the vet is similar to when their parents take them to the doctor, to help keep them healthy, and to help them get better if they are sick/hurt. She also reiterated that hitting is never the way to discipline an animal and provided examples of ways to properly work with them.

At the conclusion of the party, Katie donated the items her guests brought to FFLR, which included: bags of food, toys, and treats, and FFLR presented Katie with a T-shirt and a bracelet with the FFLR logo to show their appreciation of her generosity.

FFLR is a nonprofit, no-kill, rescue, based out of Berkeley Springs. We focus on rescuing animals that have been abandoned/abused/neglected, we pull from animal control and high-kill shelters to help save those whose time is running out, and also take in animals from hoarding cases; this is our heart's work. These animals are usually the ones that have been forgotten by society, but we feel they are worth saving, no matter what the breed or situation. We continuously work to fulfill our motto: "because they all deserve a furever home." If you would like to found out more about FFLR, please visit our Web site at www.friendsfurliferescue.com or visit our Facebook page.

Fiona's Fight is a non-profit organization focused on educating the public on animal abuse and how to properly take care of pets. If you would like to learn more about Fiona's Fight, please visit their Web site at www.nhes.org/articles/view/981 or you can visit them on Facebook.